High temperatures, long days and annual holidays spell high season in Australia.

Accommodation is at its priciest and should be booked months ahead in popular coastal areas. The tropical north is at its wettest and muggiest, with some attractions in remote areas closed due to flooding.

Major events in January include the Sydney Harbour Fireworks on New Year’s Eve and the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. Across Bass Strait, Tasmania kickstarts the year with multi-city arts festival Mona Foma.

Come February, culture vultures hit Perth Festival and the Adelaide Fringe, the latter one of the world’s largest, most prolific arts festivals. In Sydney, the glitter comes out for the planet’s biggest LGBTIA+ festival, the three-week Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. All three festivals spill into March.